The Buyer's Desk Independent Natural Food Retailers Association

In honor of Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Chris and Angela are sitting down with AAPI retailers and brand founders making waves in the natural foods space. Chris interviews Justin Gill, Founder & CEO of Bachan’s, about the meaning behind Bachan’s octopus logo, not sacrificing ingredient cost for quality, and secret family recipes. Next, Angela chats with Yogesh Patel, Owner of Nature’s Pick Market in Marietta, GA, about his health food awakening, building partnerships with local businesses, and organic juicing!  

In this special bonus episode, Angela and Jim take the Expo West show floor to give you exclusive interviews with your favorite brands! Jim chats with Seth Goldman from Eat the Change about sourcing from Mozambique and democratizing organic and Fair Trade products. Angela gets the scoop from Christy Goldsby from Honey Mamas about the benefits of coconut oil. Plus, hear from other great brands like KIND, Mixhers, Odyssey Elixirs, and more!

This episode is brought to you by Compostic, GOODSAM, and Lundberg Family Farms. 
This month, Chris and Angela celebrate Earth Month with two amazing guests! 
Angela sits down with Shannon Holtzman, Purchasing and Merchandising Manager at Leg Up Farmer’s Market, to talk re-usable bags, the labor (and love) of local sourcing, and Shannon’s career journey as a Category Manager.
Next, Chris chats with Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, about the importance of soil health, building upon the organic certification, and hydroponics. 

This episode is brought to you by NOW Foods and Here we Flo.
In this month's episode, Chris and Angela explore all things wellness!
First, our resident SPINS expert Jim Olson gives us the run down on wellness trends to keep an eye on - including performance nutrition and woman-focused wellness.
Chris chats with Dan Chapman, CEO of Redd Remedies and second-generation owner of early INFRA Member Sunrise Health Foods. They talk about everything from the importance of product purity to how Dan has seen being an INFRA member change over the years.
Next Sarah Super, INFRA's Wellness Strategist, chats with Lauren and Alina from St.Paul-based wellness store Mastel’s. They talk about the founding and history of Mastel’s, wellness social media strategies, and anticipating customer needs.

This episode is brought to you by Partake Foods, EvoHemp, and Ecos. 
In this month's episode, Angela and Chris hear from black farmers breaking barriers in the agricultural and natural foods industries. Chris and Category Manager Kim Route chat with Angela Dawson, Co-Founder, President & CEO of 40 Acre Co-op about her trajectory into farming, the importance of the co-op model, and the structural barriers she has faced as a black woman farmer. Next, Chris chats with Olowo-n’djo Tchala, Founder & CEO of Alaffia about going above and beyond Fair Trade standards and building community through trust.

This episode brought to you by SaveNaturally, Gaia Herbs, and Our Home. 
We’re kicking off season 2 of The Buyer’s Desk with a deep dive into trade shows! In this special cross over episode, Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith from New Hope Network’s The Natural List Podcast give us the inside scoop on what retailers can expect from Newtopia Now in 2024. And, you won’t want to miss our conversation with Amy Clark from KeHe about trade show strategy and 2024 trend predictions.